Are Grants residents ready to Kick It!?

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Kick It! Is a healthy lifestyle and fitness challenge that will be offered to the public beginning Feb. 2, through Future Foundations Family Center.

Laura Malaj, executive director of the center, said the public is asked to participate in four weeks of events, at no cost to the public, that will help increase activity and create a more healthy lifestyle.

The monthlong program is being funded by the center, with $5,000 from the New Mexico Department of Health.

“The health department wants us to target all ages but concentrate on teens and parents, they especially want a good response from teenagers,” Malaj said.

“Kick It! is a program, that will help reduce diabetes in the area,” she said.

Teachers at Grants High School have been recruited to help get teenagers into the four-week schedule of events, and students will receive extra credit for participating, Malaj said.

In order to participate, people must preregister by Jan. 25, she said. Registrations can be made at the center, 550 Washington Ave.

Four-week program
The program begins on Feb. 2 at 9 a.m., with an aerobics program at the center.

“Come to the center, it is all free,” Malaj said.

When people preregister, and at the first event, they will be given a questionnaire about how active their lifestyle is and they will be measured to see how much body fat they have.

They will have their blood pressure taken and will also have flexibility and strength tests, she said.

Each week there will be free giveaways to those participating. And, each week, the participant will be able to drop their name into a drawing bin for a large screen TV or a treadmill, their choice if selected.

The free giveaway this week is a Dynaband, to help increase muscle tone in hands or knees.

Feb. 9, is Cibola County cleanup day at 9 a.m. At various locations in Grants participants will walk and as they walk will pick up trash to help clean the city. The free giveaway this week is a jump rope.

On Feb. 16, participants will help with the annual Quadrathlon beginning at 7 a.m. They may help at the start/finish line, water stations or the bicycle run station to help Quad athletes with their bicycles.

The free giveaway this week is a water bottle holder.
Feb. 13 participants will meet at the center at 8 a.m., and then go on a fun run/walk for up to three miles.

The route is from the center, to Sakalares Boulevard on the east side of the city, then to Hanosh Boulevard, which leads to the golf course, then back to the center.

The free giveaway this week is a pedometer, which measures how many steps a person takes in one day.

The U.S. Surgeon general has set 10,000 steps a day as a goal for every American to be able to meet in order to be fit.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.